Sunday, February 12, 2012

Welcome, guest author Kate Carlisle with Asian Chicken Salad


Guest Author Kate Carlisle with Asian Chicken Salad




Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mystery series, which launched in 2009 with HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER. The latest Bibliophile Mystery is ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE (Bibliophile Mystery book 5). The Bibliophile Mystery series follows book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright as she attempts to restore classic texts to their former glory, and to solve the contemporary murders that are linked to each book.

Thank you so much for allowing me to visit Mystery Lovers Kitchen again! As always, I’m wildly intimidated by having a blog full of cooks judge me based on my recipe. It tastes good, I promise, but please, judge me based on ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, the latest book of my Bibliophile Mystery series. I’m much more comfortable being evaluated based on my mystery novels than I am based upon my kitchen prowess.


I only love cooking as a spectator sport. An armchair head chef, if you will. My true sport is eating, and I’m a champ. Wherever I travel, I find delicious food.

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world, which is why I chose to set the Bibliophile Mystery series there. I love heading north to “do research.” (That’s what we call it these days. I love my life!) One of the greatest things about San Francisco is its multicultural atmosphere. The whole world is in that one city.

Chinatown is one of the most well known neighborhoods. If you haven’t been there, you really need to go. You turn a corner, and suddenly, you feel like you’re in Asia. Vibrantly colored silk kimonos hang from clothes racks along the sidewalk. Elegant and whimsical figurines peek out at you from behind delicate ceramic vases in the window displays you pass. And the food! Oh, the food! The Asian restaurants in SFO are the best in the country. Which is why you’ll never find a salad on the menu that uses bottled teriyaki sauce. But hey, it’s good!


Asian Chicken Salad ala Kate Carlisle

½ head of cabbage, sliced thin
½ C bottled teriyaki sauce
1 C cooked chicken, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 large carrots, shredded
4 green onions, julienned

Mix together all the ingredients, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve cold. Even better if you make it an hour or two ahead.



Have you ever been to San Francisco, or to another city with a Chinatown? What’s your favorite thing to order when you go to an Asian restaurant? Are you pro-sushi or anti-?


By the way, I’m holding a contest right now on my website. Two lucky members of my mailing list will win this 513-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring the beautiful cover of ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE! 


Visit www.katecarlisle.com and join the mailing list for your chance to win!











21 comments:

  1. Thank for visiting us today, Kate. We would never hold cooking skills (or lack thereof) against anyone. Like you, I think some of our readers are "eaters" not cooks.

    In spite of your claims, I have to say that your salad sounds like a wonderful writer's lunch. I'm planning to try it!

    ~ Krista

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  2. Hey, everyone, I'm on the road today, and I'm reading Kate's latest. It's wonderful!! Thanks, Kate for joining us.
    ~Avery

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  3. Thank you, Krista! That makes me feel better. :) I hope you'll love the Asian Chicken Salad. It does make a great writer's lunch. In fact, you can make it on Monday and get four or five meals out of it, at least. Perfect for those deadline weeks.

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  4. Hey, Avery! I'm on the road, too. What a coincidence! ;) (Avery and I were together last night. We did a signing in Houston at Murder by the Book. Tooooooo fun! We're kind of silly when we get together. I love that about us!)

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  5. By the way, I'm blogging on Kate's Romance Bandits blog today with a book giveaway of my first two books. Stop by and leave a comment. ~Avery

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  6. San Francisco is a great city and I don't visit there often enough. I love Asian food but not a fan of sushi. This sounds yummy and easy too. Definitely going to try it soon. Thanks for the post!

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    1. Oh, I just realized I can reply to each comment separately. Takes me a little while!

      Thank you for celebrating ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE release week with me, Jane! I hope you'll love my Asian chicken salad. Close your eyes and dream of San Francisco!

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  7. Kate, I've never been one for Asian food much but your dish looks yummy. I'll have to give it a try. BTW, love ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE and the puzzle giveaway is neat. This is a fun series. Best of luck.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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    1. Thanks, Mason! The puzzle is really terrific! I've also created a fabulous Bibliophile Mystery Time Killer word search booklet that readers can get for free by sending me an SASE. Details on my Facebook page: Facebook.com/katecarlislebooks. Look at the "Free Gifts for You" tab on the left side of the page.

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  8. When I visited San Francisco I stayed at the hotel where they filmed What's Up Doc. Unfortunately, I don't remember the trip at all-I was 5 years old! Although I haven't been in a few years, whenever I go to Toronto, Canada I make sure I go to Chinatown (they actually have several) and get anything and everything made with lychees-lychee slushie, lychee pop... I love lychees. Around here when I go for Chinese takeout I get sesame chicken and wonton soup. My local grocery store (Wegman's) makes a great sweet and sour chicken. As for sushi...no thanks! I don't like seafood. Many years ago, at a going away party for a friend I tried some-tuna and eel.

    I look forward to reading your latest Bibliophile book. In fact, when I heard you were doing a signing in Houston I asked an old friend to go for me-he graciously attended and will be sending me several books soon!

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    1. Yayyyyyyy!!!! I'm so glad you're looking forward to ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, Kat. We had such a great time at the Houston signing. Everything they say about friendly Texans is true.

      What's Up Doc was a *great* movie! I need to watch that one again. Loved it!

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  9. Hello .... Kate that salad looks great. Simple and easy and tasty to boot. What more can one ask for :)

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    1. Shawn, it is! And since you're a busy mom, you'll be happy to know that kids like it, too! The teriyaki sauce gives it a nice sweetness that kids enjoy.

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  10. Welcome Kate--I bet we would all say we're champion eaters at MLK--especially when deadlines loom!

    I love San Fran, loved "What's Up Doc" too, love visiting Chinatown there or in New York. Isn't it funny that most of us here aren't big sushi fans? I'll look forward to trying this salad though!

    And ps, the cover is stunning!!

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    1. LOL, Lucy! I probably should've called this Deadline Chicken Salad. It's so fast and easy to make, it's perfect for those times when we're buried in the writing cave. Hope you love the salad.

      Thanks so much for the nice words about the cover of ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE. I do adore the cover of this and of all the other Bibliophile Mystery novels. Guess that's obvious, since I put it into a jigsaw puzzle!

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  11. Welcome kate, glad you are here! I love Biblio-mysteries, so i will try to hunt a couple of yours down!

    Have to laugh about your question as whenever I am lucky enough to be visiting New York, a trip to their Chinatown is always on my schedule. But actually I am looking for the Little Italy section that has been all but taken over by the ever expanding Chinatown. But, the New York Chinatown is not as much fun since the chicken that plays tic tac toe died.

    Oh, and love your recipe! Easy, plenty of vegetables and can be made ahead of time. Perfect lunch!

    Dave
    eRecipeCards.com

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    1. Hi, Dave! Thank you for checking out the Bibliophile Mystery series. You can read free excerpts of my books on my website. Hope you'll love them... and the salad, too! :D

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  12. Thanks, Kate!
    This is one of our summer staples that I make a least once a week. next time you make it try adding broken up ramen noodles to the mix. They soften nicely over a few hours and add an extra "oomph".

    Even though it is only 20 degrees here today I'm tempted to whip one up!!

    Thanks again,
    Nanc

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    1. Ooooh, ramen noodles would give it a nice bit of texture. I'll have to try that next time. I did think about adding some peanuts. I think that would be good, too.

      I like salad any time of year!

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  13. Thank you so much for hosting me here today, Avery! As always, it was a pleasure hanging out with you, and I very much appreciate the warm hospitality here at MLK! Thank you!

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